The Cruise of the Noah's Ark Page 10

  Captain Noah discovers a leak in the side of the Ark.]

  A LEAK

  "Look out! Look out! A boat in sight; Turn quickly to the left or right; You'll have a smash-up, sure as fate-- Alas! my warning came too late!"

  sang the Weathercock.

  And, oh, dear me! He was right! Crash! Bang! The Noah's Ark shivered frombow to stern, and all the animals were thrown off their feet.

  Little Marjorie awoke with a start. It was just daylight, and far off inthe east the rising sun was tinging the sky pink and gold.

  She hurriedly put on her clothes and ran out on deck, where she met Capt.Noah and his sons.

  "Whales and porpoises!" exclaimed Capt. Noah. "Mr. Jonah has been asleepat the switch again, I'll bet!"

  And then he ran forward and looked over the bow of the Ark.

  Only a few yards off was the charred hull of a vessel, riding low in thewater.

  Quickly examining his own ship, Capt. Noah discovered a hole on thestarboard side.

  And then, all of a sudden, the animals came rushing up on deck.

  "The Ark is filling with water," cried Mrs. Elephant, "and my slippers areall soaking wet. If I had remained below another minute they would havebeen ruined!"

  She had hardly finished when all the rats and mice scrambled up thecompanionway.

  "A bad sign!" said Capt. Noah. "It shows the Ark is sinking!"

  Mrs. Noah gave a scream. She had hastily thrown a kimono over hernightdress at the first warning and had hurried on deck.

  "Don't worry," said little Marjorie bravely. "Capt. Noah will stop theleak."

  "I hope so," he said. Then, turning to the passengers, he asked: "Who willvolunteer to go with me below deck?"

  "I will!" shouted Ham.

  "And so will I!" said the Elephant.

  "Come along, then," said Capt. Noah.

  "Throw me down the tarpaulin and some planks," he called up a few minuteslater.

  But, oh dear me! The water had gained such headway that the tarpaulin wasof no use at all, and I don't know what would have happened if theElephant hadn't sat down squarely on the hole, blocking it up so that nota single drop of water leaked in.

  "Bully for you!" cried Capt. Noah. "That's the best stunt I've seen yet!"

  "It's not very comfortable," said the Elephant, with a shiver. "My, butthe water's chilly!"

  "Start the pumps!" commanded Capt. Noah, rushing to the foot of thecompanionway. "Set some of the animals to work!"

  Well, after a while the Ark was pumped dry, and everybody heaved a sigh ofrelief.

  "How long do you expect me to be a water plug?" asked the Elephant. "Youdon't expect me to sit here for the rest of the voyage?"

  "I don't know what we'll do if you get up," answered Capt. Noah.

  "Neither do I," said the Elephant.

  "Let's call Mr. Jonah," said Capt. Noah.

  "What's the use?" said the Elephant. "What good will he do? If he hadn'tbeen asleep at the tiller we never would have had the accident."

  "We might punish him for neglect of duty," said Capt. Noah. "We'll plugthe hole up with him. He can sit on the opening for a punishment."

  "Great idea!" chuckled the Elephant. "Bring him down."

  So Capt. Noah hastened on deck to look for poor Mr. Jonah. And pretty soonhe came back with Mr. Jonah, who of course didn't know what they weregoing to do with him.

  "What do you want me for?" he asked. "It's pretty damp down here."

  "Hello!" said the Elephant. "Excuse my not rising!"

  "Certainly," said Mr. Jonah, "but you don't look very comfortable."

  And then, quick as a wink, the Elephant reached out his trunk and grabbedpoor Mr. Jonah.

  "Help! Murder!" yelled Jonah, nearly strangled by the water, which rushedinto the Ark as the Elephant got up.

  "Keep quiet!" commanded Capt. Noah, and then the Elephant pushed poor Mr.Jonah into the hole.

  "It's all your fault that we had this accident. Now you can stop up theleak!"

  Mr. Jonah was too frightened to speak. Finally, when he partly recoveredfrom his fright he said:

  "But what am I to do?"

  "Don't do a thing," said Capt. Noah, pushing him down as he started to getup. "You just sit there and be a hero!"

  "I won't!" cried Mr. Jonah.

  "Then we'll all drown, and you, too!" said Capt. Noah.

  And just then the Weathercock shouted out loud and clear:

  "Land ahead! Land ahead!"

  And in a few short seconds the Ark rolled upon a sandy beach and came to astandstill.

  "Throw out the anchor!" commanded Capt. Noah. "We won't take any chancesthis time."

  And pretty soon all the animals were playing on the sand, while Mrs. Noah,with Marjorie and the boys, made a fire under some palm trees.

  Suddenly Capt. Noah remembered Mr. Jonah. "Thunder and lightning!" heexclaimed, and at once descended into the hold, where he found poor Mr.Jonah still sitting on the hole in the Ark.

  "Arise, noble man!" said Capt. Noah, bursting into laughter.

  "Thank goodness," said Jonah. "I feel as stiff as a glass bottle stopper."

  And in the next chapter you shall hear of a wonderful picnic which theyall had on this little green island in the middle of the big blue ocean.